Top 10 Certifications with Staying Power

CompTIA has two security-related certifications. The entry level one is Security+, and covers the basics, including system (host, application, and data) and network security issues, basic cryptography, and the role of assessments and audits. The CASP exam builds on Security+ (though it does not require Security+ certification), extending security issues throughout the enterprise, and adding risk management and the integration of security into the intersection of computing, business communications, and business needs. Security is one of the biggest needs in IT today and with greater integration between organizations and with the Internet, security is becoming an even greater concern. When cloud computing is added to a company, most organizations are even more concerned with security. Even if a business outsources most of its IT functions to a cloud service provider, most will still be concerned with security, and thus this field is only expected to grow over time.

IT is a very fast-changing industry - what is hot today may be a tiny niche market in only a few years and things that few have heard of may be huge trends in the same timeframe. That having been said, many certifications have a long life span, by which we don't mean that the certification is good for many years before it expires, but rather that the certification has been around and will be around (as best as the future is predictable) for a long time. This does not imply that recertification on new versions and/or continuing education credits are not required to maintain certification, however. Predicting the future is always challenging, not the least a future in IT, but these certifications are good bets.

The top 10 certifications that meet this criterion (in no particular order), identified by Global Knowledge instructor John Hales, include the following. Note that the certifications are broad in terms of topics covered and are not all strictly IT administrator-based.

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